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Simple Gumdrop Roses

Looking for a sweet alternative to
roses this Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or any flower giving occasion?
These gumdrop roses are so much fun, and a whole lot cheaper!

These roses are actually so simple to make at home using pretty much any pliable material, from store bought fondant, to tootsie rolls or candy!! There are a few different techniques for making roses. This is mine. I think it is pretty simple and hope you do too.

2 gummy spearmint leaves (you can also shape a green gumdrop into a leaf shape if you can't find these)

4 red (or color of your choice) jumbo gumdrops (I used red gummy hearts I had left over from making my Cupid Arrow's)

Granulated white sugar

Directions

Unless
you can find green lollipop sticks, you can easily dye your paper
lollipop sticks by rubbing a cotton ball with green food coloring all
over the lollipop stick. Let the sticks dry fully before assembling
rose. You can also wrap green florists tape or construction paper around
the stick... or leave them white.

Flatten
red gumdrop in sugar to about 1/8 inch thick and form a petal shape.
This can be done with your palm and fingers or with rolling pin. (The
thinner you make them the more realistic they will look. I like to
squeeze around the edges with my thumb and forefinger to make the edges
almost transparent, giving the petal an even more delicate and realistic
look.) Use the sugar to prevent sticking as you work. Repeat process
to make 3 petals for each rose (feel free to use more or less petals for
your roses depending on weather you want a rosebud or a fully bloomed
rose).

Use the fourth red gumdrop to make a long
stretched out oval shape to be used for the "bud" of the rose (shown
below in the sugar).

Cut
2 green gumdrops into leaf shapes, or take the short cut like I did and
use gummy spearmint leaves. (A whole bag only cost me $99 cents.)

Here is what will become 1 gumdrop rose:

Push your two leaves down the top of the lollipop stick, leaving about an inch of stick for the rose to be coiled around.

Take
the long oval shaped petal you made (4th gumdrop in process) and coil
it tightly around itself around the top of the stick, just above the
leaves. This will form the bud of the rose.

You
can even leave it as is without adding any petals, and make a bouquet
of rose buds about to bloom. This is what the rosebud will look like
without any of the petals attached:

Next
add your first of the 3 petals, by wrapping it around the side of the
rose bud, pressing at the base of the rose to secure. Here is what the
rosebud + 1 petal will look like:

Add
your second petal by overlapping the first petal and wrapping it
around, pressing at the base of the rose to secure. Here is what the
rosebud +2 petals will look like:

Lastly,
add your third petal by overlapping the first and second petal,
pressing at the base of the rose to secure. Here is what your rosebud + 3
petals will look like:

Repeat the entire process to make as many roses as you want... even make a bouquet!

Another
idea is to package them individually and give them out as Valentine's,
anniversary gift, party favor or just because! Tie some ribbon to seal,
and voila! Even cut out a printed or written message and attach it as a
custom tag for a personal touch.